2024 Colorado Proposition 127

2024 Colorado Proposition 127 is a proposed ballot measure that will appear before voters in Colorado during the 2024 general election. If the citizen initiated proposition passes, it would make it illegal to hunt and kill bobcats, mountain lions, and lynx in Colorado.

Proposition 127

November 5, 2024
Prohibit Bobcat, Lynx, and Mountain Lion Hunting
as of 3:03 P.M., November 9, 2024 MST
Results
Choice Votes % Yes 1,316,202 45.01% No 1,607,847 54.99% Total votes 2,924,049 100.00%
For   50–60% Against   90–100%   80–90%   70–80%   60–70%   50–60%

Background

Currently, hunting bobcats and mountain lions is legal in Colorado and regulated by Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Of the roughly 4,000 mountain lions in Colorado, 504 were killed during the 2022-23 hunting seasons, with hunters being required to take training courses and report all kills within 48 hours of killing an animal. The state collects over $400,000 in revenue annually from big cat hunting licenses. Hunting lynx is already illegal in Colorado and will remain so regardless of the outcome of Proposition 127.

Proposition 127 was referred to the ballot through citizen petition. Petitions were circulated by the group Cats Aren't Trophys and largely funded by animal rights organizations. They gathered just under 150,000 signatures to put Proposition 127 on the ballot. Should voters approve the measure, bobcat and mountain lion hunting will become illegal in Colorado and lynx hunting will remain so.

Contents

The proposition will appear on the ballot as follows:

Shall there be a change to the Colorado Revised Statutes concerning a prohibition on the hunting of mountain lions, lynx, and bobcats, and, in connection therewith, prohibiting the intentional killing, wounding, pursuing, entrapping, or discharging or releasing of a deadly weapon at a mountain lion, lynx, or bobcat; creating eight exceptions to this prohibition including for the protection of human life, property,and livestock; establishing a violation of this prohibition as a class 1 misdemeanor; and increasing fines and limiting wildlife license privileges for persons convicted of this crime?

Campaigns

Support

The main campaign in favor of Proposition 127 is led by the group Cats Aren't Trophies. Colorado's official voter guide offers the arguments that hunting big cats is inhumane and supports the unnecessary practice of commercial fur trade. It goes on to argue big cat populations in Colorado can self regulate and would not become a public danger without hunters.

'Yes'

Organizations

• Audubon Society
• Big Cat Rescue
• Black Pine Animal Sanctuary
• Carolina Tiger Rescue
• Center for Biological Diversity
• Friends of Animals
• Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries
• Humane Society of Boulder Valley
• In Defense of Animals
• Performing Animal Welfare Society
• Sierra Club Rocky Mountain Chapter
• The Wild Animal Sanctuary
• WildEarth Guardians

Opposition

There are two organizations leading opposition to Proposition 127. They are Colorado’s Wildlife Deserve Better and Western Heritage Conservation Alliance. The state's official voter guide also offers the arguments that Proposition 127 would restrict Colorado Parks and Wildlife's ability to manage big cat populations, lynx hunting is already illegal in Colorado, and hunting mountain lions and bobcats provides and important revenue source to wildlife managements sytems and local communities.

'No'

State senators

• Perry Will

Organizations

• Colorado Republican Party

Results

Results will begin being made public for Proposition 127 at 7:00 pm on November 5, 2024. Proposition 127 requires a simple majority to pass.

Proposition 127

Choice	Votes	%
Result not yet known
Total votes	—	100.00